So I am working on building a new character for my friends campaign and trying to figure out a decent build. This is the first time I have had any experience attempting to build a character with this class. My prior character [Human Qigongg Zen Archer] got removed from the campaign via a temporal portal malfunction that well I messed up very badly with and ended up getting tossed back in time some 10,000 years. And in tradition of this group when we lose a character via hilarious means we roll a new character using random NPC dice, these allow for rolling alignments, race, class, etc.
So anyways I get to now come up with something based on the following
- Race: Dwarf
- Alignment: Chaotic Good
- Class: Warpriest (was originally rolled cleric but this was close enough per the GM)
- Stats after racials: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8
So with this I am toying between a different builds. First is a Scimitar/Shield build with the Healing and Good Blessings with Sarenrae. Second is a Greatsword Gorum build with the War and Destruction blessings. Finally is a Warhammer/Shield of Trudd build with the Protection and Good blessings.
This character has to be able to stand as a front line fighter, what I am struggling with is feat progression and how well the damage will scale along with the various feats. I was trying to find some builds to use for building upon so I can see how the go together but was not having much luck.
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You have a very solid base going for you. Fates Favored trait is a popular choice for warpriests as your main buff throughout most if not all of your characters career is divine favor. Dwarves can have outstanding saving throws, especially as a warpriest- since you can't pick up power attack at 1st level, a good choice to pick up is Steel Soul. That, combined with the regional five kings mountains trait gives you a whopping +5 to saves vs spells and spell like abilities. At level 1 your saves vs a spell would be F +10 R +6 W +10 which is insane for that level.
Scimitar and shield isn't a bad choice but without TWF you're missing out on quite a bit of damage potential there, and the fact that you can wear heavy armor and swift action cast shield of faith starting at level 2, you can get away without using a shield for the most part. For that reason I'd go with a 2h weapon. Greatsword and worship Gorum is really good, mechanically. It's the least feat intensive build out there (power attack is your only real requirement for it, everything else is just crazy with feat use. Compare it with a dex-based based melee, ranger, or TWF build; every one of their feats are needed for that specific style. With 2h you can really have some fun with more interesting feats like difficult swings.
Gorum has a fun divine fighting technique that utilizes the greatsword, and since oftentimes on the first round you have to move into melee, being able to vital strike on a charge is awesome. If you go through the Inner Sea Gods book, you'll find that worshippers of Gorum can cast Lead blades as a 3rd level spell. quaff a potion of enlarge person and get 8d6 damage on a charge is pretty nice.
As for blessings, worshipping Gorum has access to the best combat blessing available to warpriests. The Destruction blessing is awesome. Even though you don't get as much out of it as a 2h user than you would a ranger or TWFer, since they get more attacks, getting +1/2 level to damage is huge and definitely worth considering getting Quicken Blessing for.
Strength is a good blessing too, as at higher levels you'll get a higher enhancement bonus to hit, but the to-hit bonus from that doesn't stack with the enhancement bonuses to hit on you weapon.
You really can do whatever you want with feats. This is how I would build your Dwarf through 12th level:
Traits: (Faith)Fates Favored, (Refion)Glory of Old
Worship Gorum
Blessings: Strength, Destruction
Feats:
1) Steel Soul
1) Weapon Focus(Greatsword)
3) Power Attack
3) Improved Initiative
5) Gorum's Divine Fighting Technique (Gorum's Swordsmanship)
6) Vital Strike
7) Additional Traits (Social- Seeker, Combat- Reactionary)
9) Cleave if you eventually want the advanced divine fighting technique, otherwise this is wide open.
9) Improved Critical(Greatsword)
11) Quicken Blessing (Destruction)
12) Improved Vital Strike
Obviously you may have a different taste in feats but on a full attack at level 8, assuming you have a haste source and you're buffed with divine favor, lead blades and destruction blessing, you're power attacking at 3d6+13 +1.5x strength mod+weapon enhancement bonuses with 3 attacks. Lots of damage. Most of the feats I listed are by no means vital to a 2h build, which is the beauty of it all.
Any of those builds sound doable. I'm guessing you're not starting at 1st level given you're (re)joining an existing game, but you haven't said what level you're looking at.
Anyway, a few possible feat progressions.
Warpriest 1: Weapon focus (scimitar)
L3: Shield focus
Warpriest 3: Shielded mage
L5: Power attack
Warpriest 6: Weapon spec. (scimitar)
L7: Great fortitude - for use w/Sarenrae's mercy at level 10+
L9: Lunge
Warpriest 9: Improved critical (scimitar)
L11: Quicken blessing
The above can cast spells without dropping the shield or using fervor, and has some minor defensive features.
I think you might want to mess with vital strike for a
Warpriest 1: Weapon focus (greatsword)
L3: Power attack
Warpriest 3: Furious focus
L5: Shield of swings - so you have one defensive option at least. Pushing assault might avoid a full attack as a different such option.
Warpriest 6: Vital strike
L7: Divine fighting technique (Gorum's swordmanship)
L9: Staggering blow
Warpriest 9: Devastating strike
L11: Quicken blessing
The Trudd-follower seems to stand out mostly by having the protection blessing. Let's see how defensive we can get while still making this character useful.
Warpriest 1: Weapon focus (warhammer)
L3: Shield focus
Warpriest 3: Mobile bulwark style
L5: Steel soul
Warpriest 6: Weapon spec. (warhammer)
L7: Mobile fortress
L9: Guarded charge
Warpriest 9: Mobile stronghold
L11: Quicken blessing
I like that build over all for the most part. Also wouldn't it be good to take Furious Focus at 3rd level as well to negate the Power Attack attack penalty? Also can cleave be used after Vital Strike?
I know one item to keep with me at all times would be a wand of enlarge person, since that is 50 charges for 750gp vs 50gp a shot with potions. Because of the buffs to damage output gained when going from medium to large sized.
Also I noticed you don't make use of Weapon of the Chosen feat chain for being able to attack at advantage? And what advantages due the other feats in the chain grant?
Also I forgot to mention I am joining at level 8, which ironically was the same level as my former Zen Archer even though the starting level was a weighted dice roll.
So would something like this be viable?
1) Weapon of the Chosen
1) Weapon Focus (Greatsword)
3) Power Attack
3) Furious Focus
5) Gorum's Divine Fighting Technique
6) Vital Strike
7) Improved Initiative
etc
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Have a Gorum build I have been working on:
Dwarven Arsenal Chaplain Warpriest of Gorum/Titan fighter
1. Warpriest (weapon focus greatsword, Power attack)
2. Warpriest
3. Warpriest (Cleave, Cleaving finish)
4. Warpriest
5. Warpriest (Steel Soul, Fighter weapon training)
6. Titan Fighter (with large great sword 3d6 dm. Enlarge person potion 4d6)
7. Warpriest (Divine Fighting Technique - Greatsword Battler, Vital strike 8d6)
8. Warpriest (Lead blades (3rd level)Quicken blessing - war, Vital strike 12d6)
9. Warpriest (Advanced weapontraning feat)
10. Warpriest (Furious Focus, Fighter weapon training - warrior spirit )
11. Warpriest (Improved vital strike 18d6)
12. Warpriest
13. Warpriest (Weapon trick - Cleaving Smash, Advanced Divine Fighting Technique - Greatsword Battler)
14. Warpriest (cast Righteous Might instead of enlarge person potion)
15. Warpriest (Greater Cleave, Cleave Through, Fighter weapon training)
16. Warpriest
17. Warpriest (Greater vital strike 24d6)
UndeadWookiee, I suspect you were replying to Syries, but in case it helps: Weapon of the Chosen uses your swift action, which you have many, many uses for as a warpriest. Fervor-casting and sacred weapon are the big two but there are others. By level 8 your weapon is magic anyway and some of your spells can beat concealment. Improved WotC requires the attack action and gives you the effect of align weapon, another spell you can just cast. Greater WotC has a decent effect with a vital strike build but it costs 3 feats to get there.
Enlarge person is a decent buff but so is divine favor among others. Since you're not going to be especially good with the UMD skill (+7 at 8th level, unless you spend traits) and it's not on your spell list I'd reconsider the wand.
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Something that I think is great that you can do...
Cleaving Vital Strikes OF DOOOOOOOOM
Required Feats:
Power Attack
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.
Cleave
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.
Great Cleave
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +4.
Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.
Improved Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Vital Strike, base attack bonus +11.
Greater Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Improved Vital Strike, Vital Strike, base attack bonus +16.
Two-Handed Weapon Trick
Cleaving Smash
Additional Prerequisite(s): Cleave, Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack
Goblin Cleaver (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, dwarf.
Orc Hewer (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Goblin Cleaver, Power Attack, dwarf.
Giant Killer (Combat, Dwarf) (this one is not strictly needed)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Goblin Cleaver, Orc Hewer, Power Attack, Strike Back, base attack bonus +11, dwarf.
Cleave Through (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +11, dwarf.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be careful that you cannot take Power Attack at level 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feat Progression:
1: Open Normal Feat
2: none
3: Power Attack, Cleave
4: none
5: Goblin Cleaver
6: Vital Strike
7: Great Cleave/Orc Hewer
8: none
9: Great Cleave/Orc Hewer (whichever not taken at 7), Open Bonus Feat
10: none
11: Open Normal Feat
12: Improved Vital Strike
13: Cleaving Smash
14: none
15: Cleave Through, Open Bonus Feat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fantastic thing about this is that you can cleave everyone your size or lower within your reach, and apply improved vital strike to all of the attacks, and can 5ft step after the first hit.
Your opponents no longer need to be adjacent to each other.
This synergises amazingly with vital strike, as you want to make yourself large, which lets you increase your reach, and damage dice, so you can potentially hit up to 24 people with improved vital strike.
You can fit greater weapon of the chosen into this build too. To be honest I am not sure how greater weapon of the chosen synergises with cleave.
You can probably also fit in the greatsword divine fighting style.
But here you have a warpriest who can deal really good damage to single opponents via greater vital strike, and can do INSANE damage to mobs of opponents by hitting all of them with vital strike, and at 17, improved vital strike.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You might be slightly behind a full attack in damage against single opponents, but you should do more damage against multiple opponents.
OK after much group text discussion it looks like I will be going for Warpriest of Gorum.
So ideally I would like to create a path that allows for keeping up the Vital Strike and Cleave train but still allow for some quicken blessing as well?? We don't find much the normal run of the mill orc's, goblins, etc so those cleave feats I don't think would be needed to much.
Also question does Lead Blades and the Impact enchantment stack. I mean would a normal Greatsword (medium size) become Huge?
If so if you cast enlarge person on yourself would it become Gargantuan?
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I'm not aware of any feat other than all-consuming swing that allows you to apply vitals strike to your cleave attack. Cleave/great cleave and Vital Strike are both specific standard actions and therefore can't be combined (there's an FAQ about it)
The downside of all consuming swing is that you're hurting yourself too. It's not a ton of damage but it's still something to consider.
As for lead blades, there's been an FAQ about that too. Short answer is no, the spell and impact don't stack. Long answer, you can have one ACTUAL size increase (such as your weapon growing larger due to the weilder becoming enlarged) and one TREATED AS LARGER size increase(such as Lead Blades or Impact).
Yea I found the FAQ regarding lead blades and impact. For now though for the sake of gold savings I would probably stick with the spell but eventually invest in adding impact to it later.
but back to my Feats
how is this??
1) Steal Soul
1) Weapon Focus (Great Sword)
3) Power Attack
3) Furious Focus
5) Shield of Swings
6) Vital Strike
7) Gorum's Divine Fighting Technique
9) Quicken Blessing (Destruction)
9) Devastating Strike
11) Improved Vital Strike
(not sure for the other levels to finish off the build - just like to keep it pre-planned)
I would love to add some Cleave in there also but I like to add a little bit of defensive options as well
actually I can't take quicken blessing until level 11 nor devastating strike at 9
so
9) Cleave
9) Devastating strike
11) would be quicken blessing
12) Improved Vital Strike
edit never mind i can take devastating strike as the bonus feat for warpriest
Something that I think is great that you can do...
Cleaving Vital Strikes OF DOOOOOOOOM
Required Feats:
Power Attack
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.Cleave
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.Great Cleave
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +4.Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.Improved Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Vital Strike, base attack bonus +11.Greater Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Improved Vital Strike, Vital Strike, base attack bonus +16.Two-Handed Weapon Trick
Cleaving Smash
Additional Prerequisite(s): Cleave, Improved Vital Strike, Power AttackGoblin Cleaver (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, dwarf.Orc Hewer (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Goblin Cleaver, Power Attack, dwarf.Giant Killer (Combat, Dwarf) (this one is not strictly needed)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Goblin Cleaver, Orc Hewer, Power Attack, Strike Back, base attack bonus +11, dwarf.Cleave Through (Combat, Dwarf)
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Power Attack, base attack bonus +11, dwarf.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Be careful that you cannot take Power Attack at level 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Feat Progression:
1: Open Normal Feat
2: none
3: Power Attack, Cleave
4: none
5: Goblin Cleaver
6: Vital Strike
7: Great Cleave/Orc Hewer
8: none
9: Great Cleave/Orc Hewer (whichever not taken at 7), Open Bonus Feat
10: none
11: Open Normal Feat
12: Improved Vital Strike
13: Cleaving Smash
14: none
15: Cleave Through, Open Bonus Feat~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The fantastic thing about this is that you can cleave everyone your size or lower within your reach, and apply improved vital strike to all of the attacks, and can 5ft step after the first hit.
Your opponents no longer need to be adjacent to each other.This synergises amazingly with vital strike, as you want to make yourself large, which lets you increase your reach, and damage...
So how does Cleave synergize with Vital Strike, can you use Vital Strike on the cleave attack? Or do you use 1 step lower? Say you have improved Vital Strike, then when you cleave you just use regular vital strike?
I can also see uses of adding in Improved Reach as well while large and wielding a greatsword... so many possibilities
* Get Steel Soul as early as you can.
* Greatsword Battlers will like Lunge and Accelerated Drinker (to get big faster)
* Longhammer > greatsword (for those not going Greatsword Battler)
Ok so I came up with this feat list - thoughts and critiques welcome
1) Steal Soul
1) Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus: Greatsword
2) NONE
3) Power Attack
3) Bonus Feat: Cleave
4) NONE
5) Divine Fighting Technique: Greatsword Battler
6) Bonus Feat: Vital Strike
7) Great Cleave
8) NONE
9) Goblin Cleaver
9) Bonus Feat: Orc Hewer
10) NONE
11) Quicken Blessing
12) Bonus Feat: Improved Vital Strike
13) Weapon Trick - Cleaving Smash
14) NONE
15) Cleave Through
15) Bonus Feat: Weapon Specialization: Greatsword (unsure on this one maybe Penetrating Strike)
16) NONE
17) Lunge
18) Greater Vital Strike
19) Monkey Lunge
"A cleric, inquisitor, or warpriest who worships a deity can always choose to give up either the first power of one of her domains or a minor blessing benefit to gain access to that god’s divine fighting technique without having to meet the Divine Fighting Techniques technique’s prerequisites (including the Divine Fighting Technique feat)....
...so you can save a feat here by trading out a blink-and-you-forget-you-have-it minor blessing instead.
Feats: you have so many that require high BAB than every lower spot should be used to tuck in those that don't.
01 Steel Soul, WF:Greatsword
03 Cleave, (warp feat: Power Attack)
05 Great Cleave (requires BAB4, which you're at)
06 (warp feat: Vital Strike), (swap out a minor blessing > Greatsword Battler)
07 Lunge
Tactics, 1st round:
- swift: Fervor cast Divine Favor
- move: Accelerated Drink(er) potion of Enlarge Person
- free: declare Lunge radius (+5 reach, for 15' total, AC-2) if necessary for cleaving
- standard: whatever else you want to do
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"A cleric, inquisitor, or warpriest who worships a deity can always choose to give up either the first power of one of her domains or a minor blessing benefit to gain access to that god’s divine fighting technique without having to meet the Divine Fighting Techniques technique’s prerequisites (including the Divine Fighting Technique feat).......so you can save a feat here by trading out a blink-and-you-forget-you-have-it minor blessing instead.
Feats: you have so many that require high BAB than every lower spot should be used to tuck in those that don't.
01 Steel Soul, WF:Greatsword
03 Cleave, (warp feat: Power Attack)
05 Great Cleave (requires BAB4, which you're at)
06 (warp feat: Vital Strike), (swap out a minor blessing > Greatsword Battler)
07 LungeTactics, 1st round:
- swift: Fervor cast Divine Favor
- move: Accelerated Drink(er) potion of Enlarge Person
- free: declare Lunge radius (+5 reach, for 15' total, AC-2) if necessary for cleaving
- standard: whatever else you want to do
I didn't know about giving up a minor blessing for Greatsword Battler. It would be better to give up strength blessing and keep the damage boost from Destruction. Trying to see how to do it in Pathbuilder which I use for managing my Character's
Also now that free's up room for another feat. I am getting a keen weapon so Improved Critical is not needed. So can you expand on that further based on other feats I selected?
Edit: I don't think Great Cleave can be taken at level 5 - Warpriest BAB at lvl 5 is still 3 - https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/warpriest/
Edit: I don't think Great Cleave can be taken at level 5 - Warpriest BAB at lvl 5 is still 3 - https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-classes/warpriest/
You are correct there (because I had taken it in a general slot).
The right, clever way to do it:
01 Steel Soul, WF:Greatsword
03 Power Attack, (warp feat: anything useful for two levels >>> Great Cleave @ 5th)
05 Cleave
-- At 5th, use the Retraining rules: spend 250gp to retrain the 3rd-level XYZ warpriest bonus feat to Great Cleave. Yes: this is legal, even though you're seemingly listed as having taken Great Cleave before regular Cleave, because you're now qualified for it by having collected regular Cleave and having met the necessary prerequisites for the new feat to be trained in. See FAQ sidebar at link. Since Great Cleave is now sitting in a warpriest bonus slot, BAB is treated as 5 at that point for meeting prerequisites.
06 (warp feat: Vital Strike), (swap out a blessing/etc > Greatsword Battler)
07 Lunge, ...etc.
...So how does Cleave synergize with Vital Strike, can you use Vital Strike on the cleave attack? Or do you use 1 step lower? Say you have improved Vital Strike, then when you cleave you just use regular vital strike?
I can also see uses of adding in Improved Reach as well while large and wielding a greatsword... so many possibilities
When you cleave you do vital strike of one step lower.
So with Vital Strike, you just get normal Cleaves.
With Improved Vital Strike you get Vital Strike on all your cleaves.
With Greater Vital Strike, you get improved Vital Strike on all cleaves.